


The Unexpected Visitor

by silverducks



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-30
Updated: 2011-12-01
Packaged: 2017-10-22 00:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/231544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverducks/pseuds/silverducks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matthew finds his busy day at the office interrupted by a very unexpected visitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_This is just a random, very silly short story, but the idea came to me and I thought I may as well write it! I hope you enjoy reading it and a few more chapters are on their way! Reviews and constructive criticism always welcome._

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Matthew sat in his office and quickly scribbled a few more words on the paper in front of him. A glance at his pocket watch showed he still had quarter of an hour before his next client, hopefully enough time to get these notes finished. It wasn’t like him to get behind with his work, but he’d rather been avoiding this particular piece of business. His new client, Mr Huntford, rather grated on Matthew’s patience and he found himself procrastinating somewhat when it came to his dealings with him.

A sudden knock on the door made his head snap up and Matthew quickly answered for the person to come in. He hastily tidied up the brief notes and anxiously checked his pocket watch again. Mr Huntford was early and he was about to catch Matthew unprepared.

It wasn’t Mr Huntford who was announced though, but another, very surprising and unexpected visitor.

“Lady Mary, sir,” Mr Williams, Matthew’s clerk, announced, stepping into the room, immediately followed by Lady Mary.

Matthew stood up quickly from his chair, nearly banging his knee against the desk in his hurry. His pen, and the papers on his desk, fell to the floor, scattering around in a flurry whirl of white. He didn’t notice though, his eyes had become suddenly riveted to the apparition that walked into his office, his mouth dropped open in surprise and confusion and his clear astonishment was apparent on his face. “Lady Mary!” he breathed, unable to regain his business like manner for a moment. What on earth was she doing here? The sight of her took his breathe away and made his heart jump, as it always did when he laid eyes on her beautiful face. Today she was looking particularly resplendent in her stunning blue coat and stylish cream hat. She breezed into the room, casting her eyes about with a slight disdainful pout, her head held high and her manner full of poise and elegance as she nodded at his poor clerk, who looked quite affected.

It took Matthew a few full moments to regain the power of speech; something which he was sure was not lost on Mary. “What are you doing here?” he blurted out, gesturing rather awkwardly for her to sit on the chair in front of him. He nodded at his clerk, indicating that he was free to go. He didn’t ask for tea to be brought, however, he thought it would be wiser to ascertain just what she was doing here first

Mary looked cordially at him, before she glanced at the chair by his desk with a rather contemptuous look. Straightening her skirt about her, Mary sat down in the small swivel chair slowly, carefully, appearing every inch the refined and sophisticated Lady that Matthew knew her to be. After she had so gracefully sat down, Matthew found himself quickly tumbling into his own chair, just about managing to not tip off in his haste. He suddenly noticed the pile of fallen papers that littered the floor and he briefly wondered if he should stoop to pick them up. Mary was sure to have noticed them flying everywhere and he tried to quickly decide which was the more professional course of action; ignoring them, or drawing yet more attention to his clumsiness by picking them up. Deciding on the former, he turned his attention to the striking lady in front of him. She was looking at him with her usual expression of cool detachment, haughtiness and boredom, though there was no mistaking the mild amusement that danced in her entrancing dark eyes.

Her mesmerising gaze caught him completely off guard and he felt himself gulp as he quickly tore his eyes away. Sadly it fell on her lips, which were twitching ever so slightly into a playful smirk. That did not do him any good either; it made all sorts of improper visions run through his mind and his heart thump rather loudly in his chest. With as much professionalism as he could muster, he quickly made a show of reaching down and opening a drawer. With his gaze away from her serene face, he found it easier to regain his composure. Hoping he looked calm and collected, rather than as flustered as he was, he pulled out a random file and sat up straight. Opening it, he kept his gaze averted from hers and made a point of reading the paper in front of him. What it said he couldn’t say, but it did the trick and helped calm him slightly. After a few moments, and now feeling somewhat collected though exceedingly embarrassed, he let his gaze fall once more on Lady Mary.

She was obviously ignoring his earlier outburst and was waiting for him to speak, for she fixed him with an enquiring, somewhat impatient, though perfectly elegant gaze and a small, courteous smile. With a very slight nod of her head, her cream hat perched with fruit barely moving, she encouraged him to speak.

Many thoughts ran through his mind as he thought about what to ask and why she could be here. Mary’s calm countenance meant it was obviously nothing serious, no emergencies in the family, so what could it be? Her behaviour was very cool, aloof, distance and he decided formality was perhaps the best way to proceed.

Matthew leant forwards slightly and folded his hands together on his desk. He cleared his throat before speaking, hoping it sounded somewhat professional rather than nervous. “How can I help you, Lady Mary?”

 Lady Mary’s courteous smile broadened and a mischievous glint sneaked into her eyes. Most would not have noticed her slight change of humour; the way she sat a little straighter; the way she dipped her head ever so slightly and momentarily dropped her eyes; the way her hands folded neatly, firmly, in her lap, as if she were preparing for something. Matthew did notice all this and his curiosity was piqued even further. He felt his own mouth twitch into a slight smile, his eyebrows rise and his eyes look enquiringly at her. She was up to something, of that he was certain, but what, he would just have to wait and see.

Mary paused before speaking, lengthening the silence and deliberately increasing Matthew’s anticipation and curiosity. She kept her eyes on his and said, her voice disdainful, bored, though Matthew could not fail to the miss the faint undercurrents of teasing, “I would like some legal advice, _obviously_.” Her eyes rolled slightly on the last word and she looked at Matthew with a slight hint of condescension, waiting for him to continue, though her eyes were still shining with a touch of merriment.

Obviously, Matthew thought to himself sarcastically, though he was far from annoyed. Her mischievous manner was infectious and the teasing look in her eye was doing nothing to help stop his pulse from racing. Yes, he thought, she was definitely playing with him, but whatever game it was this time, he was anxious to know. He took a few moments and watched her, trying to make her out, but she continued to remain a mystery. He found himself moving forwards slightly, leaning on his desk and becoming imperceptibly closer to her, her impish glint drawing him in like a moth to a flame. He tilted his head upwards, looking up at her elegant face through hooded eyebrows, his eyes clouding slightly as her playful gaze held his own inquisitive, smouldering one. The atmosphere in the room started to thicken, the air becoming charged and Matthew found his own ability to think deteriorating.

“And what sort of legal matter would you like to discuss?” he asked. He did his best to keep his voice level, professional, he really did, but it came out rather playful, yet deep, husky, almost flirtatious and he couldn’t help but notice the sudden twitch in Mary’s smile and her eyes start to darken.

“I would like to know how one goes about changing a will,” she answered, her voice pleasant, measured, though the undercurrent of mischief was more noticeable this time. She drew further back in her chair and sat up a little, as if she had noticed the shift in the atmosphere and Matthew leaning towards her and wanted to maintain her distance.

Matthew noticed this, but made no move himself to increase the space between them. Instead he fixed her with his own enquiring, intense gaze as he tried to work out what she was up to. Her query surprised Matthew and it took him a moment to formulate an answer, wondering how best to continue in this unknown game of hers. “I am afraid I don’t deal with those types of matters, Lady Mary, though may I enquire as to whose will you would like to change?”

Mary looked him directly in the eye then, sitting up even straighter in her chair. She seemed to make a large effort then to hide the playful twinkle in her expression as she answered, her tone somewhat derisive, “Well, my husband’s will, of course!”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

To say that Matthew was surprised by Mary’s request was quite an understatement. Her words threw him completely off guard and he felt his arms suddenly give way in surprise. He hadn’t realised just how far forward in his seat he had been leaning, nor that so much of his weight rested on his arms on the desk. When they gave way, Matthew found himself suddenly thrown forward, his chair tipping and his hands suddenly grasping for the desk to steady him. He just about managed to hold in his sudden yelp of pain as his knee collided with the desk drawer, but he was unable to stop himself from looking up at Mary in front of him. Her posture and expression were as elegantly bored as ever, but it was clear she was trying to hide a smile at Matthew’s recent ineptness. He quickly averted his eyes from her distractingly beautiful face and was quite grateful she had at least not spoken or laughed at him.

The near fall had set Matthew’s nerves on edge and his heart had suddenly started to beat rather erratically. It took him a good few moments to recover himself and he sat back in his chair very carefully, this time making sure he was properly seated. The contrast to Mary’s cool, reserved demeanour irked him and a flash of annoyance crossed his mind. As well as his own embarrassment at his clumsiness, he was rather put out that she was taking amusement in his misfortune. What on earth was she coming to his office for anyway, talking about her husband’s will? Why on earth was she even talking to him about her husband like this?

His sudden irritation made it easier for him to regain his composure and, as he looked at Mary once more, his eyes narrowed into a warning. Mary remained unfazed, her expression still mysterious, serene, but there was a definite defiance in her gaze now, testing and teasing and Matthew felt his annoyance at her start to dissipate. She was challenging him to continue and he’d never been able to back down from a confrontation with her before. His own curiosity was also pervading and he decided that if he wanted to find out just what the game was, he’d have to keep playing along. He moved towards her then, leaning again on his desk, but this time he made sure he was seated firmly in the chair. He continued to meet her challenging gaze and did his best to hide the smile that was playing on his lips. Keeping his voice professional, yet unable to mask his friendly and playful tone, he asked, “What changes do you intend to make to your husband’s will?”

“Is that important?”

Matthew couldn’t help but smile at her deflection and moved further forwards as he answered, “Well, the nature of the change will affect how easy it is to alter the will. Small things simply require amendments, but a large change would require a new will to be drawn up.”

Mary smiled, seemingly pleased that Matthew was playing along with her game again. She moved forwards slightly in her chair and nodded her head at him a little coyly, but she didn’t provide any further explanation, leaving Matthew no choice but to continue.

“Of course, any changes made to your husband’s will, will require his permission.” He couldn’t resist himself then and he leant more fully on the desk, closing the distance between them somewhat. He kept his gaze locked to hers, but dropped his head slightly so he looked up at her through hooded eyes. “Is it likely to be a problem, acquiring your husband’s permission?”

Mary blinked in surprise at his question and took a moment to respond. She moved forwards, leaning her elbows on the desk, mirroring Matthew and looking him defiantly in the eye.

“Oh no,” Mary smiled at him, perhaps a little too flirtatiously, for, as she continued speaking, her voice became lower, almost seductive, “I don’t think I’d have any trouble persuading my husband.…”

Matthew gulped at her words as all sorts of images flooded his mind about what she could mean. His heart began to gallop in his chest and he had to remind himself to breathe. He was determined to not be outdone in her game though, so he did his best to appear cool as he continued, refusing to drop her challenging gaze. “Perhaps your husband may disagree with your ability to persuade him so.”

Mary leant further forwards then, bringing her face so close to Matthew’s that he could hardly breathe.

“Oh, I doubt that…” She looked at him intensely, her eyes full of passion and dark promises as she continued, “I can be _very_ persuasive.”

It was all Matthew could do to stay seated then as the implications of her words and the intensity of the emotion within them sent shivers of desire through him. He found himself caught by her sudden, heated gaze, her eyes becoming clouded, dark and there was no mistaking the obvious meaning in them. He felt the atmosphere thicken, becoming charged and electric once more. He gulped again, but met her intense smouldering gaze with his own fierce one. He closed the gap between them completely, so their faces were almost touching and he could feel her breath on his skin. With his voice hardly more than a whisper he said, “Perhaps it’s not so much that your husband is easily persuaded, but simply enjoys you trying?”

Mary’s eyes widened as the inference of his words hit her. For a moment she swallowed and looked quite nervous, her eyes dropping down and avoiding his burning gaze. “Perhaps…” she said, her voice a little breathless. She moved away from him then, sitting back in her chair as if she needed her distance. She looked him in the eye, though her gaze was weak, and said “Though only my husband can answer that.”  

A smirk danced across Matthew’s face as he saw how much his comment had unnerved her and that it was now Mary’s turn to struggle to find the words. Without moving, he continued to look her intensely, challengingly, in the eye and he rather enjoyed watching her squirm for a few moments as the heat in his gaze seared through her. It didn’t take Mary long to compose herself though and her gaze once more became calm, haughty and very much in control.

“I think this likely to be a large change, so a new will, I assume, will be required. How long is that likely to take?”

Matthew found his smirk spreading across his face as Mary retreated to safer ground. He was coming close to winning whatever game this was and he let himself backtrack, keeping his voice professional once more, though he didn’t lessen the fierce intensity in his expression. “Drawing up a new will is quite a quick process actually. You would just need a few witnesses and, obviously, your husband would need to be present to sign it.”

Mary smiled at him courteously as she spoke, “Well, that is interesting news, thank you.”

Matthew got the distinct impression that Mary was drawing their game to a close, obviously not wanting to risk losing, and he still didn’t fully understand the reason for her visit. He was about to speak, but Mary began first, seeming to sense that Matthew was about to question her.

“Are you not going to pick up those papers you dropped?” She asked, her voice innocent as she glanced down at the notes that littered the floor.

Matthew groaned inwardly, both in annoyance at Mary for avoiding the issue once more and at himself for his earlier clumsiness. He could hardly ignore her request and it was rather unprofessional to leave client’s notes strewn everywhere. He glanced quickly at Mary and he couldn’t fail to miss the gloating, smug expression dancing across her face. He really had no choice but to obey though and with as much dignity as he could muster, he begrudgingly stooped down and began picking up the papers. They had flown everywhere and he had to crawl round his desk to collect them all, which really was exceedingly embarrassing. It didn’t help that he felt Mary’s eyes on him the whole time and he could clearly imagine her expression to be one of great amusement.

As he picked up the last piece of paper, which happened to be by Mary’s dainty feet, her ankles showing below the hem of her skirt, he glanced up quickly, rather nervous to be caught so close to them. Mary had turned round in the swivel chair so she was facing him and her eyes were indeed filled with amusement, but as his gaze met hers, they changed to one filled with something altogether quite different. Matthew suddenly averted his eyes and swallowed, all too aware that he was crouched by her feet. He quickly stood up and kept his gaze averted down, but that meant that he found his eyes trailing over her elegant frame perched gracefully in the chair. This view, as he stood up, did nothing to calm his heart which had started jumping rather wildly, but he did feel somewhat better standing up, much more in control as he looked down at her. Putting the notes on the desk behind him, he said, “So, is there anything else I can help you with, Mary?”

Mary looked at him then and replied, her voice courteous enough, but rather low, almost sensual. “No, thank you.” She stood up then, slowly, carefully and Matthew found himself quite unable to look away. He was also finding it quite difficult to breathe as he realised just how close they were. With Mary now fully standing, her face was far too close to his and he could feel the warmth of her body against him. He knew the only proper thing would be for him to take a step back, distance himself from her, but he found himself unable to move.

“Actually,” Mary continued, tilting her face a little closer to his. “There is one more thing you can do for me.” She looked into his eyes then and the expression quite stopped his heart. Her eyes clouded with yearning and burned with a smouldering intensity that seared right through to his soul.

 “Mary!” He meant to say her name as a warning, an indication that her behaviour was highly inappropriate, but it came out rather breathless, deep and filled with desire.

Mary simply smiled flirtatiously and leant closer towards him, bringing her face to just a fraction away from his. Matthew stood there dumbfounded for a few moments, his mind torn between what he knew he _should_ do, what propriety and any true gentleman _would_ do, and what he himself had wanted to do since the moment she’d first waltzed into his office. Looking into her eyes, and with her standing so close to him, it was a losing battle and before he really knew what was happening, he tilted his face forwards and felt his lips move imperceptibly towards Mary’s, his heart pounding in anticipation.

Suddenly the door opened and Matthew spun around, away from Mary, to see his clerk standing in the doorway. With his eyes wide, his mouth suddenly dropping open in surprise and his face growing somewhat red in embarrassment, he looked at Mr Williams in shock, wondering precisely what his clerk had just witnessed.

 

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 _Thanks for reading, I hope you're enjoying it. More chapters are on their way soon._


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr Crawley,” Mr Williams said nervously, rather betraying the fact that he had obviously noticed something amiss. He stayed lingering in the doorway and seemed quite unable to meet either Matthew’s or Mary’s eyes, though his face darted back and forth between the two.

“What on earth is it!” Matthew said crossly, then instantly regretted it. Whilst he was not at all happy his clerk had just barged in, he knew well enough his frustration was due to being interrupted in the first place. He couldn’t exactly apologise though, not without drawing more attention to the incident.

“Mr Huntford rang, sir,” Mr Williams replied, still sounding nervous and shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. “He says he will be about 20 minutes late.”

At this, Matthew quickly checked his pocket watch and saw it was already the original time for his appointment. Thank goodness the man was late! It would give him some much needed time to catch up on the paperwork. That was if he could get Mary to leave and he didn’t dare think about how he’d accomplish that.

“Thank you, Williams,” Matthew answered, hoping his voice sounded more cordial now.

Mr Williams nodded nervously, quickly glancing at Mary, unsure of what to do. A second later, he swiftly disappeared from sight, shutting the door a little too loudly behind him.

After his clerk had gone, Matthew stood staring at the doorway for a good few moments. He didn’t dare turn around and see Mary; he wasn’t sure what she would think of it all and didn’t know what on earth he could say. His thoughts were all too consumed by what had nearly happened between them and what would have happened had they not been interrupted…

When he felt composed enough to turn around and face her, he was quite surprised by what he did see. He had expected Mary to look embarrassed, perhaps flustered and frustrated like he himself felt, at the very least a little put out that they had been caught about to do something quite inappropriate. Instead, she looked very much like she was finding it incredibly hard not to laugh. Her demeanour was as elegantly cool and detached as ever, but her eyes were shining in merriment and her lips kept on twitching into a smile. On seeing Matthew’s rather flustered and embarrassed face, a laugh escaped her lips and she quickly tried to repress it. It looked like Mary found the whole thing most entertaining, which for some reason rather rattled on Matthew’s nerves. He did not appreciate how much amusement she was finding today at his expense.

“It’s not funny, Mary,” he found himself saying, his voice stern and reproachful, betraying his annoyance and frustration.

Mary’s answer was to giggle all the more, before she quickly drew a hand to her mouth to try to silence it. She shifted on her feet, trying to dispel her obvious amusement and dipped her head, the brim of her large cream hat hiding the laughter in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Matthew,” she answered, her teasing, playful voice betraying just how little she meant the words.

“This is my job, Mary, I take it very seriously,” he reprimanded, his voice sounding more defensive and hurt than he intended. “I can’t have them thinking me unprofessional by…by…” He let his voice trail off, not quite wanting to put into words what had been about to happen between them.

He didn’t need to though, Mary knew exactly what he meant and she looked up at him then, the laughter suddenly dying in her throat as her mirth was replaced by an altogether different light sparkling in her eyes.

Matthew did his best to drop her gaze, ignoring the new promises that seemed to simmer there and the flirtatious smile that danced across her face. He would not let her distract him any more. “Look, Mary,” he said gently, “I’m afraid I’ve got work to do, so if you’ve quite finished…” He didn’t add playing games with me, though he certainly thought it.

“Are you trying to get rid of me, Matthew?” Mary asked, her tone sounding hurt but unable to mask the teasing, mischievous undercurrents.

Matthew knew he should ask her to leave more forcibly, but instead he just sighed in exasperation at Mary’s behaviour and his own inability to stay annoyed at her for long. He didn’t want her to leave of course, but he was far too conscious that the longer she stayed in his office, the less likely he’d get any work done and the more likely something else would happen.

“Of course not, Mary, but my next client will be here in under 20 minutes and I really do have work to do.”

“Oh no, Matthew, have you gotten behind?” Mary said, her voice sounding light, playful, but there was no denying the deeper, enticing tones hidden within it, nor the coy way she looked up at him, challengingly. There was also no denying the slow, determined and almost seductive step she took towards him, catching his gaze and holding it in defiance. “That’s not very professional of you.”

As the tension in the office became sizzling and electric once more, he caught the expression in her eyes and knew her intent perfectly. Matthew had the distinct feeling her last comment held a very different meaning and that Mary had found a new game to play – one which seemed to involve pushing him as far as she could. Whilst Matthew knew very well it wouldn’t take long before he lost this one, he couldn’t resist rising up to her challenge. He didn’t back down or step away, instead he looked her boldly in the eye, raised his eyebrows and said, “I didn’t expect to be interrupted before he arrived.”

Mary took another slow, determined step towards him, looking up, pretending to be hurt. “I’m sorry to be such a nuisance to you, Matthew.”

“No you’re not, Mary, you’re not sorry at all.”

 Mary dipped her head coyly, looking almost bashful, before she took one final, deliberately slow step forwards, so that their bodies were almost touching. Smiling up at him demurely, she reached out with one hand and rested it on his chest. The other hand took hold of his tie, pulling it out and twirling it around her fingers. “Just ask me to leave, Matthew, and I will.”

Matthew gulped as her face became tantalisingly close and he felt her fingers skimming along his chest. “I have done what you asked of me, Mary,” Matthew challenged, though his voice was much more breathless than he intended.

“I know, but there is one last request that remains unfulfilled, remember?” Her voice dropped, sounding low and deep and delicious.

“Mary…” Matthew sighed heavily, she had him caught in a literal corner and she knew it. How could he possibly ask her to leave when she was leaning into him, looking up with hunger and desire in her eyes and her face so close to his.

Mary smiled knowingly, before doing something quite unexpected. She pulled on the tie she was playing with and brought Matthew's head forward; brushing her lips against his and Matthew was quite taken aback in surprise. It took him a few moments to regain himself enough to pull away a little.

“Mary, we can’t…” he began, trying fruitlessly to maintain some degree of decorum between them.

Mary, of course, didn’t listen and, after a smouldering look full of dark promises and passion, she pulled on Matthew’s tie again, dragging him towards her and cutting off his words with a kiss. Matthew was struck dumb for several moments, but then decided any resistance was definitely futile and he kissed her back. Mary smiled against his lips, dropping her hands to his chest, happy that she’d won this round and Matthew was more than happy to let her this time. Of course, he didn’t have to necessarily let her win the next and he was determined to take charge of the current situation. At least _this_ was one game he did know how to play. He reached up and gently brushed her cheek with his fingertips, before moving his hand round to the base of her neck, bringing her face to his for a searing kiss. Matthew’s other arm snaked around her waist, pressing her body close against him as he deepened the kiss, letting all the tension and electricity that had simmered between them since she’d entered the room pour out of him. Mary let out a small whimper of delight, returning his kiss rather urgently, her hands running over his chest, sending shivers through his whole body. She slipped them round his neck, gently stroking, before winding them up into his hair and clinging to him, drawing his face even closer.

Matthew felt the world fade around him then, as all his senses focused in on Mary and the exquisite delight of holding her so close, feeling her lips pressed against his and her arms around his neck. He tilted his face to kiss her more intensely and stroked his arm slowly up her back, cupping her face with his hands before letting them slip up into her hair. As they became entangled in her dark locks, Matthew’s hands collided with her large hat and it suddenly slipped off and hit the floor with a loud bang, though they were both too preoccupied to notice. Instead, Mary let out a low moan and tilted her head as Matthew’s lips dropped from her own to kiss her cheek, her chin, then trailed down her neck, leaving a blazing path of fire.

Far beyond the ability to think, Matthew spun her around, before pushing her forward so that she was crushed against his desk. The movement brought their bodies exquisitely close together and Matthew kissed her passionately again on the lips. He couldn’t resist leaning forwards, pressing against Mary’s chest as he lowered her down onto his desk, her arms clutching onto him rather desperately.

A sudden knock on the door smashed through into their world and they sprang apart almost immediately. Matthew quickly stepped away from Mary, trying to catch his breath and grasp hold of reality as he stared at her in bewilderment. As the realisation of his client's obvious arrival sank in, Matthew’s sudden panic snapped him into action and he quickly called out, “Just a minute.” He couldn’t believe it, the man was here already! How long had he been kissing Mary for? Forcing his thoughts, emotions, breathing and heart rate under control, he quickly pulled his jacket on properly, which Mary had pushed half off his shoulders, and straightened his tie. He made the mistake of looking at Mary again then and found his thoughts becoming distracted once more. Her hair was looking somewhat wild and her eyes were dark and clouded. Noticing his gaze on her though, she gave him a sudden, breathtakingly dazzling smile which quite sent Matthew’s heart rate pounding once more, before bending down elegantly to retrieve her fallen hat. With an awe inspiring amount of grace and efficiency, she quickly brushed her hair down and delicately placed her hat atop her head. In the space of a moment she became the haughty, refined and indifferent Lady Mary and the only evidence of their recent behaviour were her lips, which were red and swollen from his kisses, and the glistening, heated tint to her skin. Matthew wished he could regain his composure as quickly and tore his gaze away from her. He had delayed long enough though, so he called out, “Come in.”

“Mr Huntford, sir.” his clerk announced, entering then and looking rather nervous at interrupting Matthew again. He avoided looking at either Matthew or Mary and it was quite obvious the man had a good inkling of what had been happening in the office. Matthew was incredibly relieved that this time his clerk had the sense to knock. Who knows how the poor man would act had he seen their behaviour only a few minutes ago?

He was followed by the rather short and squat Mr Huntford, who looked somewhat annoyed at being kept waiting, though he himself had been late. Matthew, already quite flustered and distracted, found himself panicking; remembering that he still hadn’t finished the case notes and hoping the man didn’t notice the charged and heated atmosphere or his own agitated behaviour. If Mr Huntford did see anything amiss, it would only be for a fleeting moment, for Mary moved forwards then and gave Matthew’s client her brightest smile. Mr Huntford’s expression immediately became one of admiration and any annoyances he might have held were swept away as the beautiful lady stepped towards him.

Matthew quickly decided that an introduction was not only polite, but necessary and he stepped towards his client and held out his hand in greeting. “Hello, Mr Huntford.” He hastily glanced over at Mary and she came forwards to stand beside him. “May I introduce Lady Mary Crawley.” Sensing that further explanation was needed as to why a stunningly attractive and elegant young lady was in his office, and because Matthew did not at all appreciate the way the man was gawping at her, Matthew continued with, “My wife!”

Mr Huntford seemed oblivious to the possessive and jealous tone in Matthew’s voice and continued leering at her, grating on Matthew’s nerves. It didn’t help that the man was clearly shocked that she should be married to him!

“Pleased to meet you, Mr Huntford,” Mary said, nodding her head at him in polite greeting, her bright smile still plastered to her face.

Despite the man’s irritating behaviour, Matthew had to admit that Mary had rather saved the day and placated Mr Huntford, who was not a man to be crossed. Still, that did not mean he had to put up with the man blatantly ogling his wife and he decided to bring this introduction to a close.

“Would you care to sit down, Mr Huntford?” he enquired politely, indicating the chair by his desk. He nodded to his clerk, who’d had the sense to remain lingering out of the way by the door, “Williams, if you could show Lady Mary out?”

Mr Williams nodded rather embarrassingly, still unable to meet Matthew’s or Mary’s eyes. “My Lady,” he said, motioning the door. Mary smiled at them all again and began to walk away, but she turned around as she reached the door and gave another dazzling smile. This one, however, was directed purely at Matthew and held many reminders of what had happened recently between them and hidden promises of what was still to come.

“Goodbye, Matthew.” Her voice was deep, seductive and she stood defiantly in the doorway like a temptress. It was Matthew’s turn to gawp at her then, as his heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his throat at the deeper meaning in her words. He couldn’t help but let the memory of their recent kisses, of her body crushed against his and her arms clinging around him, slip through his mind. Sensing her parting words had the desired effect, she gave him one last, searing look before she turned and followed his clerk out of the door.

“Is that really your wife?” Mr Huntford asked from his seat, the question drawing Matthew from his thoughts.

“Yes, she is!” Matthew answered a little harshly, unable to hide his irritation that the man would have the impertinence to ask such a thing! He sat down at his desk and picked up the notes, not caring any more that he was unprepared for his client’s visit. Judging by the admiration that crept into the man’s face though, it didn’t appear that it would matter.

“And is she really a Lady?” Mr Huntford asked and Matthew had to avoid his sudden desire to bang the notes down on the table in frustration.

“Yes, of course!” Matthew answered too quickly, shocked at the question. Any man worth the name of gentleman should think his wife a lady! Still, Matthew knew the real question Mr Huntford was asking and it rather irked Matthew that he should feel the need to know. “She is the daughter of the Earl of Grantham.”

Mr Huntford looked with even more admiration at Matthew then and he wondered what the man would think if he knew that Matthew himself would one day hold that title. Despite his desire to see the look on Mr Huntford’s face, Matthew decided the smug satisfaction he’d gain would not be worth breaking his promise of not letting his future prospects influence his work. It did remind him, however, of everything he disliked about this insolent man, though if Matthew was perfectly honest, he would trace his frustration and annoyance to the fact that the man had interrupted a delicious, though rather inappropriate, moment Matthew had been sharing with his wife. Precisely what might have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted, Matthew wasn’t sure, but he gulped as the thoughts crossed his mind and he realised he’d never be able to look at his office, and especially his desk, in quite the same way again. It suddenly struck Matthew then that Mary had failed to tell him the real reason for her visit. He made a mental note to ask her as soon as he got home, though that thought only brought forth a whole new set of improper images to his mind. Matthew sighed with a mixture of frustration and anticipation as he realised today would feel like a very long day.

Doing his best, and rather failing, to push all thoughts and memories of Mary away, he turned his attention to his client and asked, “What can I help you with, Mr Huntford?”


	4. Chapter 4

Mary was sat in the sitting room twiddling her thumbs, drumming her fingers incessantly against the spine of the book which sat open but unread in her lap. It was not like her to sit so without employment, usually Mary found enough tasks to occupy her time, from visiting her family at the Abbey to helping her mother-in-law at the village hospital, something Mary had become involved with during the war and had continued since. Then there were tasks to complete around the house; even one as small as Crawley House had a butler to organise, a cook to discuss menus with and servants to command. Today, though, Mary was restless and impatient, unable to concentrate on anything and even her favourite pastime of reading proved unsuccessful. She was too busy looking at the clock every other sentence, counting down the hours, the minutes, until her husband would return home from work. Of course, Mary was used to Matthew being at work all day, seeing him only in the evenings and weekends and even then he often had to work late or was busy with her father around the estate. While she did miss him, and always looked forward to his return, she understood his need for employment and there were even times when she envied him, having somewhere to go and a purpose to fulfil each day. She also supposed that, in a house as small as Crawley House, if Matthew were here all day, things might not be quite so content between them.

Today was different though, as she found herself quite earnestly waiting for her husband’s return. For today, not only had Mary some joyful news to share with Matthew, but she was finding her thoughts turning towards him rather more than she would like. Memories of their stolen kisses in his office only distracted her considerably from other pursuits, including that of reading the book in her lap. Mary found herself blushing at the memory of Matthew kissing her so passionately, holding her closely as his lips trailed along her neck and he pushed her down onto his desk, before his blasted clerk had interrupted them! She supposed it was a good thing they had been interrupted, but it still left her rather frustrated and even more impatient than ever to see him and continue what had started between them.

Of course, Mary hadn’t intended _that_ to happen, it had been her intent to tell Matthew her news straight away, so exciting it was that she’d even made her own way to Ripon to see him. On the train journey, however, a game of sorts had started forming in her mind and she couldn’t resist playing it when she’d arrived, making Matthew wait and increasing his curiosity and anticipation. Even now, after several years of marriage, Mary hadn’t tired of teasing her husband and often found herself impressed by his ability to play along so well. When he’d been most willing to participate in this game, and had somehow managed to turn the tables on her, she’d forgotten the real reason for her visit. She’d found herself quite unable to resist kissing him, a kiss which seemed to get very quickly out of their control. Mary felt her blush deepen at the thought of it; it had all seemed so much more daring and exciting being in her husband’s workplace. She was tempted to visit him more frequently at work, but if it was always to have this effect, of leaving Mary quite unable to concentrate or think upon anything else for the rest of the day, perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea.

Mary glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece again and sighed. She wouldn’t mind waiting so much if it weren’t for every minute that passed being a minute closer to them having to visit her parents and a minute less time she’d get to spend with Matthew. Mary had tried to minimise the need for wasted time by already being dressed and ready for dinner, her ladies maid Anna having done her hair so prettily it would be sure to give her husband a nice surprise when he returned. Mary couldn’t help remembering then, with a beaming smile as she was after all currently quite alone in the sitting room, Matthew’s astonishment when she’d appeared in his office. It had taken all her will power not to laugh at Matthew’s awkward and clumsy behaviour upon seeing her. It was actually a very nice compliment that, after several years of marriage, she could still affect her husband so. Mary’s own impatience to see him was proof enough that her husband still rather affected her too and when Mary suddenly saw him approaching through the window, she actually jumped up in excitement, her book falling noisily to the floor. Thank heavens she was quite alone in the sitting room, for Mary knew her behaviour was somewhat unseemly; even Anna had only been told that Mary’s eagerness to be dressed early was simply because she did not want to be late for dinner. Mary managed to stop herself from quite rushing to the hall to meet him and instead stayed lingering by the door, waiting for her husband to remove his hat and coat before he came in. However, Mary did find herself quite annoyed that he seemed to be taking his time and why on earth was he talking silly nonsense about his day with Molesley!

Eventually, Matthew deigned to enter and Mary used all her will power to make herself calmly approach him, giving him the usual kiss on the cheek in greeting as she said, “Hello Matthew, how has your day been?”

Matthew, it seemed, quite had other ideas, for he gently grabbed her arm and pulled her forwards, off balancing her and tipping her towards him. Mary reached out reflexively with her hands, leaning them on his chest, but Matthew was too quick and before she knew what was happening, his arm had slipped around her waist to steady her, the other encircling her head as he drew her face towards him and pressed his lips firmly to hers. Mary’s surprise was very short lived and she soon found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and returning his kisses quite passionately as her secret desires of the entire afternoon were finally fulfilled.

The door was still wide open behind them, but Mary was pleased to see, when Matthew eventually broke the kiss, that Molesley was gracious enough, and rather used to it by now, to have made a hasty retreat.

“My day’s been rather boring, I’m afraid,” Matthew replied to her earlier question, his voice rather breathless as he leant his forehead against hers, still holding her tight.

“You’re home early,” Mary commented. She’d glanced at the clock as she’d first seen him approach and had been very pleasantly surprised to see him a near hour early.

“Yes, my dear,” Matthew answered, “I was finding it rather difficult to concentrate this afternoon and I thought there was no use in staying when work was not being done. Besides, one of the perks of being a partner in the practice is having the ability to choose my own hours somewhat.”

Mary smiled at this, she knew Matthew was still enjoying his recent promotion to head of the law firm, even though it did mean his workload had increased considerably, something Mary herself was less keen on. Her smile broadened into one of barely concealed flirtation as she pulled away from Matthew and, keeping hold of his arm and pulling him with her, she moved besides the fireplace. Mary was grateful that Matthew had the mind to shut the door behind him; whilst the servants were relatively used to the happily married couple, Mary still considered it very unseemly to behave in front of them so. She knew Matthew agreed, though his actions, albeit less frequently than hers, sometimes got the better of him.

“My dear, I am quite concerned at your inability to concentrate at work. I hope there is not anything the matter.”

Matthew must have seen the flirtatious smile in her expression, for he pulled back on the arm she was holding and Mary let herself be dragged back against him. He quickly and tightly slipped both arms around her waist so she was unable to escape. He then said, his face so close to hers that Mary could feel his breath on her cheek, “I had a surprise visit from a difficult and awkward client today, it quite distracted me from the rest of my work.”

Mary smiled against Matthew’s cheek, before moving as far away as his strong arms around her waist would allow. She looked at Matthew disapprovingly, though she was quite unable to stop her eyes from sparkling mischievously at this new game of his. “It’s not like you to talk so unfavourably of a client, Matthew. May I ask what the client did that offended and distracted you so? Or would that be deemed as infringement of your client’s privacy?”

Matthew tried to hide his smirk as he gently slid his hands from her waist up her back, causing her to shiver and lean slightly closer towards him, wrapping her arms gently around his neck. “Well, as they weren’t a proper client, there’s no harm in mentioning a few things.” He leaned his face a few inches towards hers, his voice deep and somewhat taunting. “It was a rather self important and silly, aristocratic lady, asking about her husband’s will of all things.” As he said this, he gently pushed on her back, causing Mary to lean fully against him.

However, at his words, Mary pulled away slightly and did her best to portray a look of outrage and shock. “My, my, Matthew, that’s quite a harsh judgement you have! What was it that offended you most; that she was an aristocratic lady or that she asked you about wills?”

“It was neither actually,” Matthew replied, drawing her closer again and inclining his face nearer to hers, so his next words were spoken softly against Mary’s cheek. “It was simply that I was unnecessarily interrupted whilst I was very busy at work.”

Mary didn’t pull away this time, as she quite enjoyed the feel of his lips against her cheek, especially when they dropped to her neck, planting warm, delicious kisses there. Matthew’s ministrations were making it somewhat difficult to speak, but she did her best and answered, “That really is quite terrible of her, Matthew.” She let out a little sigh and stalled in her speaking as Matthew’s lips against her neck slipped up to her ear. Somewhat breathlessly she continued, “I hope you were able to sufficiently answer her query, regardless of her rude interruption.”

Matthew suddenly pulled his head away as he looked at her in bemusement and slight reproach and Mary felt a strange coldness where his warm lips had been. “I’m afraid I was unable to sufficiently answer her query, as she felt unable to give me enough information.”

“That’s a shame, Matthew,” Mary replied and, deciding she already missed his proximity, leant her head forwards and whispered in his ear, “What, pray, did you tell her?”

Matthew’s answer was to just move away from her again, relaxing his grip on her back so there was now a good few inches between them, leaving Mary feeling quite bereft. “Well, as it was concerning her husband’s will, she would need her husband’s permission before anything can be done.”

“Oh dear,” was Mary’s reply, her voice full of fake concern. She stepped closer towards him, filling the gap that he’d just made between them and her hands at the back of his head pulled his face closer, holding it there firmly. Whispering seductively against his neck she asked, “Do you think that is likely to be a problem for her, convincing her husband?”

Despite Mary’s strong hold, Matthew pulled his face away from her again, but also pressed his body intimately against hers, his body deliciously warm and causing Mary to quite tremble against him. His eyes were furrowed and his expression contemplative, the perfect picture of professional concern as he said, “I’m not sure.” A moment later, the expression faltered as a playful smirk danced across his face. He leant his head towards her and whispered in her ear, his lips making light, electrifying contact and his voice dark, deep and alluring, “It would depend on how persuasive she can be.”

With his lips at her ear, his words enticing and his voice husky and rough, Mary felt her toes curl and her body shiver in delightful anticipation. As he pulled away from her slightly to look deeply in her eyes, Mary felt her heart momentarily stop beating, before thudding loudly in her chest and she quite forgot how to breathe. His eyes were dark, intense and full of seductive promises and challenge. This was certainly one challenge Mary was more than happy to meet and, slowly pulling his face towards her, her fingers twisting in his hair, she inched her lips closer to his. She kept her eyes locked with him until the last possible instant, closing her eyes the moment before her lips touched his; the kiss all the more sweeter for the increased anticipation.


	5. Chapter 5

Mary wasn’t sure how long she and Matthew were kissing for, but after a while, Mary was vaguely aware that his hands were reaching up her neck and were just about to twist in her carefully done up hair. A small, rational part of her mind took hold and she found herself breaking the kiss and pulling away from Matthew for a moment. In a voice more teasing when she’d intended reprimanding, and made all the less authoritative by her husky and breathless tone, she said, “Watch the hair, Matthew, I don’t want it ruined!”

Matthew looked at her in sluggish surprise, his eyes slowly starting to focus on reality again after their rather distracting and passionate kiss. For the first time, he seemed to notice she was in her evening gown, for he looked her up and down a few times, his gaze soon becoming slow, leisurely, almost seductive. Mary found herself having to hide her smile as she saw the appreciation in his eyes as he admired her, from her elegantly arranged hair do, down her new stylish and exquisitely beaded red evening dress to her small feet in their smart matching red heeled boots. Realisation dawned a few moments later and Matthew asked rhetorically, and with more than a little frustration and exasperation, “We’re going to your parents tonight for dinner, aren’t we?”

Mary nodded sadly, having absolutely no desire to play dutiful daughter at the Abbey tonight. Not only would she much rather stay here with Matthew, but, despite her scoffing at first, she’d grown quite fond of their quiet dinners at home. There, the only people she had to worry about behaving for were her husband and sometimes his mother, neither of which were too particular about the rules and etiquette of evening meals. Mary had even found she didn’t miss the extravagant cooking of Mrs Patmore, for Matthew’s cook, Mrs Bird, had not only gladly risen to the challenge of impressing her new mistress and Lady, but was also rather eager to try out new recipes Mary suggested, especially if they stemmed from Mrs Patmore at the Abbey. It seemed that anything Mrs Patmore could do, Mrs Bird was determined to do too, and better. Still, her parents expected to see their daughter and their heir at least once a week, usually more, and Mary wondered if they didn’t sometimes labour under the false apprehension of wanting to keep an eye on her and to make sure she didn’t feel unwelcome and disconnected from the family.

Tonight, of all nights, she did not want to go up to the Abbey; her and Matthew has some unfinished business she’d been waiting all afternoon to continue and was rather enjoying the recent opportunity to do so. Still, it would at least give her the chance of telling them all her exciting news. With that thought in mind, she opened her mouth, about to tell Matthew first, when her eyes caught sight of the clock. “We’ve not got much time before the car will be here, Matthew! You’d better go get ready.”

Matthew murmured in agreement, but he made no move to leave and neither did she. Instead, he leant forwards again and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss which Mary was quite unable to resist. As his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, Mary heard herself sigh in contentment and wrapped her arms more tightly around him, letting her fingers gently caress his neck before burying them in his hair.

“Matthew,” Mary muttered, as his lips moved to trail a path of blazing kisses across her jaw line, her voice meant as a warning, but it came out as more of a breathless invitation. “We really haven’t got much time.”

Matthew’s reply was to murmur incoherently against her cheek, before he kissed her passionately again, spinning her around and pushing her back against the wall by the fireplace. Mary’s head collided with the oil painting of the estate which hung there, but she barely noticed it as Matthew’s hands began to move up from her waist, trailing scolding paths of fire across her back, before they found her neck and swept up into her hair. This time, Mary made no protestation and instead felt herself moaning slightly as his hands twisted around the loose strands that fell from their clip, gently tugging at them and causing a small spark of pain that sent shivers of electricity down her spine. Pressing his body tightly against hers and pushing her back more firmly against the wall, he pulled her face closer towards his and deepened the kiss.

Some time later, the length of which must surely have been only a few minutes, though it felt like a sweet and blissful eternity to Mary, a gentle knock on the door interrupted them and they begrudgingly broke apart. Straightening their clothes somewhat and trying to control their breathing and heart rate, they both faced the door as it opened slowly a few moments later.

“Forgive the interruption, Sir, but the car will be here soon.” Molesley said, looking slightly embarrassed to see his master and mistress looking so obviously dishevelled, though his embarrassment was nothing to what it had once been. He was more than use to it by now and had learnt quickly what places to avoid, how to gently interrupt and how to make a hasty retreat. It was all done with such a sense of decorum and dignity that Mary thought it would put Carson quite to shame and she wondered, not for the first time, if these things were taught when butlers and valets were trained.

“Yes, yes. Of course,” Matthew quickly answered, even now still almost as embarrassed as his valet to be caught spending time with his wife. He couldn’t seem to help but look her over again though, a smile pushing his embarrassment away as he took in her rather dishevelled appearance. His smile grew and his eyes twinkled as he caught sight of her hair and said playfully, “I’m afraid you may need to have your hair redone after all, my dear.”

Mary reached up and touched her hair, though she was not too surprised when she felt strands falling loose and odd curls sticking out. She gave him a venomous glare as he walked out of the room, his eyes still twinkling mischievously as he took one last, lingering glance at her. She was pleased to see that Anna was waiting patiently by the doorway, as if she knew she would be needed, and Mary felt more than a little guilty as she asked her ladies maid to fix her hair once more. Mary had been most pleased when Anna had enthusiastically agreed to come with her when she was married and moved to Crawley House as Mary knew how lucky she was to have a ladies maid as professional and understanding as Anna. She’d very quickly settled into her new role and had become used to Mary’s odd requests and the rather frequent requirements to sort out her hair, or her dress, at strange times of the day.

Anna was also very quick and talented when it came to hairstyles and she soon had Mary’s hair looking as stunning as it had before Matthew had deigned to ruin it. It was a good thing too, for when Mary looked at the clock on the table in her dressing room, she suddenly realised how late it was and that her family’s chauffeur would be here soon. Considering that her husband had returned from work early that day, Mary had no idea where the time had gone. Well, maybe she had a _slight_ idea.

She quickly headed towards the stairs and was rather put out when Matthew was waiting for her at the bottom. Even when he had to get ready from scratch and Mary only needed her hair fixed up, he still managed to beat her. Though, as Mary had told him numerous times when he’d teased her about it, it wasn’t her fault that women were expected to dress up so just for an evening dinner. Anyway, as she’d often teased him, he never seemed to mind admiring the finished result and this evening was no different. He watched her appreciatively as she came slowly and elegantly down the stairs and Mary was rather appreciating her own view too. When she reached the hallway, she let Matthew draw her into his arms, though he was careful to avoid touching her hair as he gave her a delicate yet lingering kiss on the cheek.

“My dear,” Matthew began, “it has recently struck me that you have yet to tell me your real reason for visiting me today.”

“Oh,” Mary answered in reply, she had quite forgotten to tell him before, as Matthew had rather distracted her again. She opened her mouth to begin, when the loud sound of a car crunching on the gravelled drive as it stopped outside was heard. They had to quickly break apart and move out of the way, as Molesley speedily appeared to do his duty and opened the door.

“My Lady,” Anna said from behind Mary, holding out her coat for her to slip into, before fixing her hat on Mary’s head.

“Thank you, Anna,” Mary replied, stepping towards Matthew, who placed his hat upon his own head and then held out his arm for her, before they both stepped outside into the crisp, cool spring air. Remembering then what she’d been about to tell him, but realising now was not the time, she patted his arm and said, “I shall tell you later, my dear.”


	6. Chapter 6

Dinner up at the Abbey was much the same as it ever was; her and Matthew sat opposite one another, sharing amused looks whenever his mother and her grandmother disagreed on a matter, her parents doing their best to keep the peace whilst Edith put in a sarcastic remark, usually aimed at Mary, whenever she could, though she did miss a few opportunities through talking to her husband, Sir Anthony. Sybil, as usual, did her best to keep the conversation flowing, doing most of the talking on behalf of Branson, though Mary must remember to call the family’s old chauffeur Tom now the politician was her brother in law. Mary and Matthew, for their part, put in the odd comment and answered direct questions, but mainly they were silent; communicating with one another with meaningful glances and hidden smiles across the table, sharing their own jokes and much more stimulating, soundless conversation.

It was only after her father directed a question directly at them, that they gave those at the table their full attention. “Have you done anything interesting today, Mary? Matthew?”

Matthew near choked on his food at the question and Mary did her best not to sputter into her wine, as thoughts of just what they had been doing, or thinking about doing, for a great part of the day filled both of their heads. They shared a somewhat embarrassed look and Matthew was the first to answer, albeit rather awkwardly which inevitably raised a few eyebrows around the table. “It was much the same as ever, thank you, sir.”

Her husband’s slight embarrassment only emboldened Mary and she answered, deliberately coyly, “Yes, I had a pleasant day. I went to visit Matthew in his office.” She then took a delicate bite of food, appearing the perfect picture of nonchalance and indifference, as if visiting her husband at work in Ripon was an everyday occurrence.

“What on earth for?” Her grandmother asked, aghast at the mere thought of it, “You’re not training to be a solicitor are you? I think we have quite enough professions in the family as it is!” She gave a meaningful look in Sybil’s direction, though Sybil simply smiled at her grandmother, used to her barbs by now after training to become a fully qualified nurse in the war, marrying the chauffeur and now studying politics at university.

Mary continued eating, ignoring the curious looks of her family and especially the bemused, confused and somewhat anxious face of her husband, obviously concerned that she may let slip what had actually happened between them. It was only when her mother pressed for more information that Mary stopped eating and turned to her.

“Oh!” Mary exclaimed, again the perfect picture of innocence, though her delay and avoidance in answering didn’t fool anyone. “I had some exciting news to share with Matthew.”

Again, she made a point of ignoring everyone’s inquisitive stares, instead pretending to focus all her attention on carefully and elegantly picking up her wine glass. She especially avoided Matthew’s eyes, as a quick glance showed he was not only growing rather annoyed at her delay, but that she was about to share her news with him in front of their whole family.

When Mary proved unforthcoming with any further explanation, all eyes turned on Matthew and Mary saw him fidget nervously in his seat as his expression became one of baffled embarrassment and awkwardness. “Mary didn’t have chance to tell me the news,” he said, answering everyone’s questioning gaze somewhat bitterly.

Mary ignored the filthy look her husband gave her, finding it all rather amusing, and did her best not to smile as the family’s curious eyes fell on her again. It was also very hard to stop herself from blushing as she remembered the precise reason why she hadn’t had chance to tell Matthew. Whilst she did her best to hide those thoughts, she couldn’t resist coyly answering, “No, we got rather distracted.”

After delighting for a moment in the now murderous look from her husband and the confused and somewhat scandalised glances of her family, who were no doubt forming their own version of what may have happened, Mary continued, acquitting them of any misdeeds. “One of Matthew’s clients arrived before I could tell him.” She smiled sweetly, enjoying everyone’s expressions as their suspicious faces turned to one of guilt as they realised they’d thought, quite correctly as it happens, the worst of them.

She picked up her fork again and began eating her dinner, all innocence and indifference, as if the matter than been completely resolved. Eventually though, curiosity got the better of dignity and etiquette for her father, for he somewhat impatiently demanded, “Well, what is this news, Mary?”

Mary slowly put down the glass she’s been about to drink from and smiled innocently. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Mary said, pretending as if she’d quite forgotten she hadn’t actually told them yet. She then looked at them all, her gaze finally resting on her husband, who was looking at her expectantly now. She held his gaze as she spoke, wanting to catch every moment of his reaction. “I am with child.”

She continued to hold Matthew’s gaze as the stunned and surprised looks flew between her family and a distant murmuring began. Matthew’s own expressions was one of shock at first, but then, as her words sank in, it was slowly replaced by a beaming smile which spread across his whole face and made his eyes shine with joy. Mary found her own smile grow in reflection to Matthew’s delight and it was only then that Mary realised she’d been quite worried in telling him and what his reaction may be. Perhaps that was why she’d been letting herself become distracted and had avoided telling him, well, maybe one of the reasons. Mary couldn’t have asked for more though, as she continued to look into her husband’s eyes, his gaze filling with joy and affection and admiration for her and she knew he saw the same in hers. Just for a moment, the rest of the family and the dining room faded away and it was just them for a timeless moment of shared happiness, love and understanding.

It wasn’t long before it was broken though, by her grandmother whose words and voice were strong enough to be heard above the murmurings. “But why on earth are you pregnant again, Mary?” Her grandmother looked quite perplexed at Mary’s predicament, “You already have two children, one of which is a boy. Why do you need any more?”

Mary and Matthew shared a secret smile at her grandmother’s words; it had hardly been a planned pregnancy, though it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to either of them. Luckily though, Mary was spared sharing this with her grandmother by her mother in law chiming in loudly, “I think it’s wonderful news! I shall dearly look forward to another grandchild to look after.”

“Yes, congratulations,” Robert exclaimed, raising his glass in a toast which the rest of the family joined in, Edith begrudgingly and her grandmother not at all. After the rest of the family had chimed in their own well wishes, and Mary found herself quite glowing in all the praise and attention, her grandmother raised her voice again, seemingly unable to let it go. “But what if it’s another boy, Mary?” She asked, as if trying to advise Mary and implore her to reach a rational decision, though it was rather too late for that. “They can’t all inherit the title and the estate you know.”

This time it was Matthew who got in before his mother or his wife and answered, “There’s always the opportunity of him taking over the law firm from me.” He hid a smile, though his eyes twinkled at Mary.

“Or medicine, a very honourable profession,” Mary added hiding her smile too.

“Or politics,” Tom added quickly, his voice sounding very pleased for having the nerve to speak up and this earned him a beaming smile from Sybil.

Her grandmother just sat there looking more and more aghast with every suggestion, obviously finding the thought of her great grandson possibly becoming any of these things quite mortifying. Mary knew she was only just getting used to the idea of her youngest granddaughter marrying the man who used to drive the family about, a fact which she seemed to try to ignore at family dinners, especially when he was sitting next to her like he was this evening.

“I think any of those would be a splendid profession for my grandson,” Mary’s mother in law remarked proudly, as if her grandson had already been born and was being given his diplomas and credentials at university.

This earned her a rather obvious look of contempt from the Dowager Countess. “Yes, I’m sure you would think it a splendid idea,” she replied dryly.

Both Mary and Matthew thought it best not to comment and instead shared their own hidden smiles. It was up to her father, then, to keep the peace and he caught the butler’s attention. “Carson, could you bring in some of the wine we usually keep for Christmas?” He looked with admiration and pride at his daughter and son in law, “This wonderful news calls for a proper celebration.”


	7. Chapter 7

_Ok, here it is, the final chapter of my story. Thank you for still reading!_

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Mary was very relieved when her and Matthew walked through the doorway and into their home later that night. The evening had been more exhausting than usual, for after Mary’s announcement, talk had been of little else since and Mary had found herself facing a barrage of questions from the family.

Her mother and mother in law had already begun planning and discussing what clothes the baby would need and what changes would need to be made to the nursery. Sybil had gushed enthusiastically at the thought of her new niece or nephew and, as her gushing had still persisted once the men had entered, Mary couldn’t help but note how nervous and anxious her brother in law, Tom Branson, was looking. Her father had soon joined in the enthusiastic planning and Edith, once her husband had arrived, had cut down on her sarcastic comments. Her grandmother had spent most of the evening in silence, though she did make her opinion known when she disagreed with all the planning, usually in opposition to a suggestion from Matthew’s mother.

Mary had found herself quite unable to break away from her family and when the men had arrived, she’d been forced to remain discussing the matter with them, whilst Matthew was tied to continuing a discussion with Branson and Sir Anthony, which must have begun over port. They gave each other an apologetic smile and had to wait until they were leaving to talk to one another. Mary had used the excuse that she was tired and everyone had quickly insisted, that in her condition, she really must take care of herself and go home and rest. Their concern made it sound as if Mary was nearly reaching labour, not just a few months pregnant as Dr Clarkson had told her that morning when she’d gone to see him, on her own to avoid arousing suspicion or worry that she was ill. They were also acting as if this was her first child, not her third. Still, Mary was happy to have an excuse to leave early and, as they bid their goodbyes to the family, Mary breathed a sigh of relief. In the car on the drive home though, they’d had little chance for proper, meaningful conversation as the car was also carrying her mother in law, who lived nearby in a cottage in the village, having offered to move out when Mary first had need for a nursery. So it wasn’t until they’d reached home when they finally had chance to talk, and even then they had to meet and greet Molesley and Anna, who were waiting to take their hats and coats.

“Have you had a nice evening, Sir? My Lady?” Anna asked them kindly as she took Mary’s coat.

“Yes, thank you, Anna.” Mary answered, then she smiled at her ladies maid and added, “They were all very excited by my news.”

Anna smiled brightly, though she did not need to ask what the news concerned; Mary had been too excited to be able to contain her joy when she’d returned from the hospital and Anna had been very excited at the thought of another baby in the house. It has also been on Anna’s polite urging that Mary had decided to travel into Ripon and see Matthew to tell him. When Mary’s first child had been born, Anna had proved herself not only an exceptional ladies maid, but excellent with children too and Mary had found no need to employ a separate nurse. Anna had been more than willing to take on the extra duties of looking after the children and she was helped considerably by Mary’s mother in law and Mary herself. Even Sybil, when she was not away at university, and their mother would often come and see the children, who were now nearly 3, Elizabeth and Christopher, now recently turned one. Molesley, too, had been very pleased by Mary’s news, which he had heard earlier when Mary had shared it with Anna. He also enjoyed having children around the house and did not mind taking on his own extra duties.

Matthew gave his wife a quizzical look, obviously wondering why their servants knew that Mary was expecting before he did, but he didn’t mention it and instead asked, “Are they still awake?” Mary knew that he’d had little chance to see his children today, with them being in such a rush to leave on time for dinner.

“I’ve put them to bed, sir,” Anna answered, “they were very tired and fell asleep almost immediately.”

Matthew looked disappointed, but he knew as well as they all did that waking the children when they were asleep was a catastrophe not even worth considering.

“Thank you, Anna, Molesley,” he said, nodding at the servants, “I will look in on them later.” That was the servants cue to leave and as they nodded in acknowledgement before wondering off, Matthew headed into the sitting room, assuming Mary would follow. She did of course, she’d been anxious to talk to him all evening, but as soon as she’d entered, Matthew shut the door behind her, before pulling her towards him for a searing, passionate kiss. Any thoughts of talking immediately flew out of her head as she found herself responding to his kiss with a fair amount of urgency and hunger. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss as she found she’d been rather impatient to do this all evening.

When Matthew finally broke the kiss and pulled his head away from hers, they were both quite breathless and Mary’s hair was, once again, in disarray, though it made no matter now.

“In future, my dear,” Matthew said reproachfully, though the playful smile in his eyes rather belied his condemning tone. “I would appreciate it if you told me news like this before you announce it to the whole family.”

Mary did her best to look bashful and dropped her head solemnly. The small smile that twitched across her face did little to convince her husband though, nor did her apologetic words of, “I’m sorry, dear.”

The worry that had been plaguing her for a while now came to Mary’s mind and she asked, suddenly anxious, her former smile dropping slightly, “You are pleased, aren’t you, my dear?” Mary was pretty sure she knew the answer and he’d certainly seemed pleased at dinner, but a little reassurance was never too much to ask for.

“Of course, Mary,” he answered joyfully, pulling her closer for an embrace. Matthew then continued, his voice tickling the back of her neck, “It’s delightful news!” He suddenly pulled away from her and it was his turn to look anxiously in her eyes. “You are pleased too? Aren’t you, my dear?”

Mary smiled brightly at him, pleased when his own smile brightened once again. She couldn’t resist adding somewhat sarcastically though, “I’m not sure what we’ll do if it’s a boy.” She did her best to copy her grandmother’s earlier look of mortification as she continued, “Whatever will we do if he wants a profession like law or medicine or politics?”

Matthew laughed at her pretend horror, before adding in mock consolation, “It won’t be too bad, my dear, I’m sure you’ll get used to it eventually.”

Mary looked unconvinced, or tried to anyway; Matthew’s smile was infectious. She pulled him closer towards her as she answered, “Well, I’m just about getting used to being married to a country solicitor, so I think I’ll come around, eventually.”

Matthew’s smile broadened even more before he leant fully towards her and pressed his lips gently to hers.

“Though I mean it, Mary,” Matthew exclaimed, pulling away a moment later, “some forewarning next time there’s important news to share would be nice.”

“Well, I did try to tell you,” Mary responded in mock indignation, “it’s not my fault you were determined to distract me.”

“Distract you!” Matthew retorted, pulling further away, “I think that accusation better lies with you.” After a pause, he continued, “You could have simply told me when you’d first arrived.”

“I had planned to tell you then, but…” She dropped her eyelids and smiled flirtatiously up at him, running her hand up his neck and twisting her fingers in his hair. “You looked all adorably awkward and flustered when I arrived and I couldn’t resist.”

She looked at him coyly, but Matthew pulled away from her completely and turned towards the drawn curtains, obviously embarrassed. “I was simply surprised to see you, that is all.”

“Oh Matthew!” Mary exclaimed, moving to stand behind him and wrapping her arms around his chest, pressing her body against his back. “It is a very endearing and encouraging compliment for a wife to see her husband quite undone in her presence.” She gently pressed her lips against his neck and kissed him softly. He instantly relaxed against her and Mary realised that he’d obviously been rather more embarrassed by the whole thing than she’d first thought. His voice was still somewhat hurtful as he said, “You could still have told me, Mary, rather than talking about wills and things.”

“Oh, but where’s the fun in that!” Mary retorted, her voice against his neck causing him to shiver against her. Smiling at her effect on him, she turned him round in her arms so he was facing her again. “I know how much you like a good challenge, Matthew.” She was pleased to see a small smirk teasing his lips once again.

“There is a time and a place, Mary,” he warned, though he let her pull him against her once more. “And my work place is not one of them.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Mary answered flirtatiously. She leant closer towards him and whispered in his ear, “I rather enjoyed my time there. I think I might need to come and visit you at work more often.”

Matthew pulled away enough to look her warningly in the eye. “As much as I would like you to, Mary, I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”

“Why ever not?” She replied, pretending to look upset.

“Because, not only would I lose all credibility with my fellow workers and clients, but…” Matthew paused then and leant towards her and gently kissed her cheek, “I would be quite too distracted to ever get any work done.”

Mary looked down bashfully, though her smile was still coy and her eyes flirtatious. She pulled away from Matthew enough to plant her hands firmly on his chest. Suddenly changing conversation, and deciding to start a new game, she asked coyly, “So, is it likely to be a problem, changing your will to take into account our new child?”

Matthew looked at her in confusion for a moment, taking a second to catch up with Mary’s new train of thought and seemingly a tad distracted by her hands gently moving along his chest. “Changing the will itself will not be a problem, but…” Now it was Matthew’s turn to look flirtatious, as the expression in his eyes went darker, intense and quite set Mary’s heart a fluttering. He leant towards her slowly and whispered seductively in her ear, sending a tingling warmth throughout her body. “You will still need to persuade your husband.” He pulled apart slightly then, but not before he’d gently kissed her ear and trailed hot kisses along her jaw line. “Is that likely to be a problem?”

The intensity and barely masked hunger that had come into Matthew’s eyes and voice now were making it very hard for her concentrate. She did her best though and answered as light and playfully as she could, though the effect was more breathless and husky, “Oh no!” She stepped away from Matthew’s embrace slowly, trailing one hand across his chest and the other down his arm, before taking his hand and walking towards the door. Pausing by it, she said seductively, “I’ve been rather looking forward to testing my persuasive powers all afternoon.” After giving him a heated and intense look of her own, she slowly opened the door and gently pulled him towards the stairs.

Matthew went most willingly, though he couldn’t resist adding, his voice also meant to be light and flirtatious though it sounded deep and breathless, “I’ve been rather looking forward to you trying all afternoon.”

**THE END**


End file.
